Method of smelting ores.



No. 874,336. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

J. 0. HARDIE. METHOD OF SMELTING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1905.

ZZZ/z added, Z7Z27iar (Tobadfflazwk The generator 4. is

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O llARDIE, OF HELENA, MONTAXA.

OF SMELTING 03135.

' Specification QfLetters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907'.

Application filed January 11, 1905. Serial No. 240.623-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. HARDIE, a citicarlmn-dio'xid with the addition of steamj'sup plied to a furnace containing the inaterialto be operated upon so as to obtain an iiiereased temperature over that now generally employed for smelting, thereby facilitating the smelting operation.

In the methodoi smeltingores iiowin general use, the ores are smelted through the action ol' carbon monoxid gases which some-' what retard the smelting operation, owing to the temperature thereof, in this particular: that when such gases are employed to smelt the ores properly, it requires considerable time, whereas by the employment of a blast of carbon-dioxid gas with the addition oi steam as the medium for the heat agency, the temperature is vastly increased, thereby shortening the duration ol the smelting operation as compared with the time net' essary when carbon monoxid gases are employed.

in d scribing the method in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings which show one form of an apparatus by which the method can be carried out, :and. said apparatus is shown in longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, 1 denotes a smelting l'urnacepiovidcd with the twyers 3. One or more twyl'S can be employed, as desired. (onnmmieating with the twyer or twyers .2 is a blast pipe or pipes 23 which is.or are in communication with a gas generator 4 of any suitable construction. The pipe or pipes 23 can be dispensed with and the generator or retort laced in close proximity to the furnace so that the outlet (5 will open directly into the twyer or twyei-s.

provided with a grate?) for the fuel-and an on tlet (3 for the gas which i l i l i l l l l l l l l (imimunicating with the bottom thereof and 's a blow-pipe 7 having a and which communicates has been generated. the generator 4 at below the grate regulating valve 8 with a union 1) 1O communicating with a Extending in point near the outlet ti.

having a regulating valve 1 iniiiiicates with the union .l. one blast-pipe is employed, a corresponding number of blow-pipes T and 12 are used. A steam supply communicates with the blowpipe 12.

.The manner in smelting according ried out, is as follows: in the furnace 1, above the twyers thereof and the fuel in the generator t ignited, air is passed through the bed of incandescent fuel iy means of the blow-pipe 7 and which gives oil carbon inonoxid gas which ascends to the top of the generator 4 and there, is admixed tan or blower 11.

1; and which coinwhich the method of to this invention, is car l he ore being placedwith a blast ol'atiiiospliei'ic air with the addition of steam through the medium of the pipe monoxid gas at the top of the generating chamber and forms carbon dioxid gas, and, owing to the-action of the blast through the pipe 12, the carbon dioxid gas is supplied to the blast-pipe oi'.pipe's 3 and through the l\\' \'Ll'- or twyei's Z'into the lurnace 1 and owing to the great heat given oil from the carbon dioxid gas, the ore in the lurnace is rapidly smelted. The valves 8 and 13 enable the regulation of the blast, as well as enable the regulation of the formation of the carbon monoxid and the carbon. dioxid gases.

The essential feature of the invention, is the formation of carbon dioxid gas in the manner set forth, exterior to the smelting l'urnace and the supplying of said carbon dioxid gas in the form of a blast with the addition of steam to the smelting furnace, said gas beingthe heat agency, thereby quickly and coiivei'iiently reducing the ores contained in the smelting furnace. 1

What i claim is:

step in the reduction of a mass of ore in a chamber which consists in causing a direct blast of atmospheric air containing steam to attached to an air-supply pipe ll" more than the top of thel'uriia-ce to a is a l lo\\'-])ipe --12 1; and which admixes with the carbon (HUH directiy into a gas generating chamber mm in (iirucfi to the ore a ('zu'bon dioxid gas I'm-med from the admixing in the upper p01- *i n uf said generating chamber of the blast in testimony whereof I have hereunto kw! i mill :1 carbon monoxld gas formed by pass- I Witnesses:

my hand in prescncv of two suiism'ibing wit ncssc-s.

JOHN F. HAHHHC.

ing :1 blast of fluid containing air through an N. L. BOGAN, inandescent body of fuel G. M. Bow). 

